protecting nature slide shows

Protecting Nature in Your Community: A Guidebook for Preserving and Enhancing Biodiversity

The Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission, in partnership with a coalition of over 130 organizations known as Chicago Wilderness, has developed a suite of products and services based on its publication Protecting Nature in Your Community: A Guidebook for Preserving and Enhancing Biodiversity. The suite includes the guidebook, executive summary, slide presentation, and technical assistance sessions for local government officials. The guidebook text (without graphics), executive summary, and slide presentation are available for download below. A hard copy of the guidebook can be purchased from NIPC’s Publications Department at 312-454-0400. Click here for information about technical assistance availability.

Note: Text links download Microsoft Word files. For PowerPoint viewer, if needed, click here. Download the "text" & "PowerPoint" files to your computer by first right-clicking on their links. HTML hi-resolution slide show screens are best viewed with Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher. HTML low-resolution slide show links are for Netscape users or those still using Internet Explorer 3.

Chapter 1: Introduction

The introduction describes the status of our natural landscapes and the efforts of Chicago Wilderness members to protect them, provides the rationale for protecting biodiversity and natural resources, and establishes the essential role of local governments in that effort.

Guidebook text / PowerPoint / HTML hi-resolution / HTML low-resolution

Chapter 2: Comprehensive Land Use Planning

This chapter describes how comprehensive land use planning can be used by municipalities, counties, and park districts to guide the type, intensity and quality of land use to achieve balanced and self-sustaining communities that nourish and expand human opportunities, as well as protect and enhance the natural landscape. Local examples of this technique are included.

Guidebook text / PowerPoint / HTML hi-resolution / HTML low-resolution

Chapter 3: Compatible Zoning and Subdivision Regulations

Zoning and subdivision regulations are the most common tools that counties and municipalities use to control the use of land after policies have been outlined in the comprehensive plan. Recommended approaches that protect natural areas include setbacks, buffers, overlay zones, cluster development, and open space requirements. Local examples of these techniques are included.

Guidebook text / PowerPoint / HTML hi-resolution / HTML low-resolution

Chapter 4: Improved Stormwater Management

Uncontrolled stormwater runoff is a major cause of water pollution and flooding damage in the region. This chapter provides techniques to utilize stormwater runoff as a resource and thereby reduce its adverse impacts. Techniques include natural drainage and detention, infiltration practices, and reduced imperviousness. Local examples of these techniques are included.

Guidebook text / PowerPoint / HTML hi-resolution / HTML low-resolution

Chapter 5: Stream, Lake and Wetland Protection

Streams, lakes and wetlands provide habitat, recreational opportunities, and other benefits to our communities. This chapter describes techniques for protecting and restoring these valuable resources including regulation, natural buffers, streambank stabilization, and habitat enhancement. Local examples of these techniques are included.

Guidebook text / PowerPoint / HTML hi-resolution / HTML low-resolution

Chapter 6: Natural Landscaping

Natural landscaping is the use of plants native to northeastern Illinois, such as prairie grasses and wildflowers, as an alternative to traditional landscaping techniques. This chapter describes benefits of and approaches for using natural landscaping on our public and private properties. Local examples of natural landscaping techniques are included.

Guidebook text / PowerPoint / HTML hi-resolution / HTML low-resolution

Chapter 7: Improved Wastewater Management

Despite major improvements to the quality of our treated wastewater, it is still discarded as a waste product and is not utilized as a resource. Wastewater can be more sustainably treated and utilized with a variety of techniques such as regional treatment, wetland polishing, and wastewater reuse. Local examples of these techniques are included.

Guidebook text / PowerPoint / HTML hi-resolution / HTML low-resolution

Chapter 8: Open Space Preservation

Protecting remaining habitat and open space is one of the most direct and effective means of enhancing the survival of our native species, as well as providing a number of community amenities. Techniques include dedication and donation, property rights acquisition, conservation easements, and outright purchase. Local examples of these techniques are included.

Guidebook text / PowerPoint / HTML hi-resolution / HTML low-resolution

Chapter 9: Natural Area Management and Restoration

Our natural communities have been substantially altered and degraded by human activities. Our continued involvement in managing and restoring these natural areas is essential to protecting regional biodiversity. Local examples of a variety of approaches are included.

Guidebook text / PowerPoint / HTML hi-resolution / HTML low-resolution

Chapter 10: Education

Education is the common thread that binds all of these tools and techniques together, and is essential to enhancing their use and success. A number of techniques are described, including local examples of their implementation.

Guidebook text / PowerPoint / HTML hi-resolution / HTML low-resolution

Appendices

Technical Assistance, Land Conservancies, and Conservation Easements.

Guidebook text

Protecting Nature in Your Community: Technical Assistance

Communities around the region are recognizing that natural areas, trails, parks and open space are
favored by residents, improve the quality of life, and can attract tax-paying businesses.

How will you make your community more naturally attractive and environmentally sound?

We are pleased to offer local governments the services of NIPC’s staff in providing assistance and training based on our new publication entitled Protecting Nature in Your Community: A Guidebook for Preserving and Enhancing Biodiversity. This guidebook has been widely distributed to local governments throughout the region, including counties, municipalities, park districts, and wastewater authorities.

To access "Protecting Nature" slide show presentations and individual chapters from the guidebook, please click here.

We can provide information on the relevance and importance of protecting natural resources and natural areas within local communities and present a number of techniques to accomplish this objective. We also can share information from numerous innovative and successful programs and projects in the region such as

the City of Woodstock, whose comprehensive plan identifies and inventories high quality natural areas around which future development will be planned;
the new Matteson Village Hall, incorporating trails, benches, and naturalized stormwater detention into an attractive and environmentally beneficial native landscaping plan;
the Mill Creek conservation development in Kane County, utilizing open space designs, natural drainage techniques, and an innovative wastewater treatment and reuse system;
the Village of Schaumburg wetland protection overlay district, which establishes development standards to protect wetlands;
the Crystal Lake Park District, which has left nearly 60 percent of its land in a natural state, and is planting other lands with native species; and
the Village of Frankfort, whose integration of a polishing wetland into its wastewater treatment process protects the high quality of Hickory Creek.

Assistance will be tailored to the needs and interests of the audience, and can range from a brief slide presentation and discussion to half-day seminars involving greater depth of information on specific preservation techniques and local examples that can be applied in your community.

We cordially invite you to participate in these free technical assistance sessions. Please feel free to notify other interested parties in your community, including citizen groups, homeowners’ associations, and non-profit organizations.

We look forward to working with you in this unique opportunity. Since the number of sessions we can provide is limited, please contact us as soon as possible to schedule a session. You can do so by contacting Kerry Leigh or Jason Navota at 312/454-0400.